


The Letter

by Snorp_Lord



Series: We Have Nothing to Lose and a World to See [5]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), 泣きたい私は猫をかぶる | Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu | A Whisker Away (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Inspired by Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu | A Whisker Away, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29285871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snorp_Lord/pseuds/Snorp_Lord
Summary: Adaptation of the scene in A Whisker Away where Muge tries to confess to Hinode with a letter. Nines has a letter for Gavin, but unfortunately, someone else gets to it first.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: We Have Nothing to Lose and a World to See [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137977
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	The Letter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silverpaintedwings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverpaintedwings/gifts).



> This is based heavily on A Whisker Away, a fantastic anime movie on Netflix. This fic is not the exact same as the film, but please check it out! It's beautiful and makes me cry every time I watch.

“Dear Gavin-”

“No! Please, you can’t read that! Give it back!”

Gavin isn’t really sure when- if  _ ever _ \- he’s heard Nines sound so desperate. He’s always so restrained with himself. Part of that must come from being in the force from a young age. But then again, it might just be the way Nines is. If the past few days have taught him anything, he doesn’t know as much about Nines as he thought. 

“Dear Gavin. I hope you don’t mind me doing things like this. You more than anyone know how difficult it is for me to say things like this out loud-”

“Stop! I’ll do anything, just stop reading it!” Nines is tall, taller than most of the officers in their precinct, but it doesn’t help him much. He still scrambles after the note as though the crumpled blue paper is his greatest shame. The writing is already smudged by sweat, though he can’t tell if that was from Nines while he was writing it, or from the douchebag now holding it away from him.

He can’t quite focus on what’s being read out. Everything is too blurred, yet occasionally he’s thrown into sharper relief, awareness exploding across his vision like fireworks. People are staring at them both. People are whispering. People have nothing better to do with themselves in such a shitty podunk town, but what little respect he gets is already teetering at the precipice. Rumors spread. Gavin doesn’t want the attention. He wants to do his damn job and get some more written on his resume so he can go and be a cop in a real town, where there are real people, who have real problems. Where there are people like him that need help.

Gavin doesn’t need a shitty rumor about his love life. 

And he doesn’t want that shitty rumor to be about Nines.

In a striking moment of clarity, he steps forward and snatches the paper from whoever’s currently clutching it. The corner tears as it’s wrenched free. But even now, his eyes are fixed on it. The handwriting is unmistakable. Nines’ flowing script loops and swirls like a river. And it really hits him-  _ this is Nines’ confession.  _

“I didn’t ask you to write this shit!”

“Gavin…?”

“You...It was stupid to write this thing! And why would you give it to me now?!”

“I just thought-”

“Did you? Huh? Did you ever think? I hate this kinda shit!”

“I...I’m like you, Gavin. I can’t just...say the things I want to. We’re the same-”

“ _ We’re  _ the same? I’m nothing like you!”

Yet even now, it’s exactly like Nines says. His runaway heart, saying whatever is going to protect it- and before he even has a chance to catch himself, it’s twisting his words into something ugly and false, taking Nines’ stunned silence as license to continue. “I hate people like you! You’re always so pushy! Did you even think about this shit?!”

Nines is still standing there in silence.

“Didn’t you hear me? Leave me the hell alone! I hate you!”

“...I’m sorry, Gavin. I had no idea…”

When he finally turns, he catches Nines’ eye for just a second, and…

...he’s still silent. It’s something Gavin can’t ever remember seeing for this long before. Those eyes were so bright normally, often the only part of him where Nines truly let his feelings shine out. But instead, they were blank. Closed off. 

Nines smiled gently at him. “I’m very sorry, Gavin. It’s a shame, but...I understand.” 

“W-Wait-”

“It’s alright.” He stumbled backwards just slightly. Something about it seemed so strange, given how poised Nines was, the care and restraint obvious every time he moved. “...I’m sorry, Gavin.”

And then he...he ran. Connor shot after him, taking only a second to shove the officer who’d started it all, which was honestly a very measured and mature response that Gavin himself probably wouldn’t have been capable of if it had been him in Connor’s shoes. 

Then again, if he was in Connor’s shoes…

...none of this would have happened, would it? People liked Connor, they wouldn’t pull this kind of thing if it were him. And he’d have at least had the sense to take Nines aside and say something quietly. Perhaps he could have persuaded the officer to just hand it over instead of having to snatch it away and tear that corner off.

Maybe he wouldn’t still be gripping that broken heart in his hand.

But he was Gavin Reed. And Gavin Reed fucked things up.


End file.
